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“I’d like two surf and turf deluxe meals, one mild and one spicy, both with lemonades, please, and no fish,” he ordered, then ended the call and turned his attention back to me.
It was a kind gesture, and I appreciated the thought. I loved being in serene, quiet places, and there were so many books in this room that it didn’t matter what genre they were—I just wanted to snap pictures of those bookshelves for my book review account.
“Let’s forget about the world and the internship, if only for a moment,” Dillon suggested with a warm smile. “Let’s have lunch together.”
With a shy smile of my own, I teased, “Do I have a choice?”
“Of course, you always do,” he said, leaning back. “But I know you’re going to say yes, especially since I drove you two hours away.”
I laughed and agreed, “Good point.” I took a seat on the plush sofa. “Is this where you want me to share my life story?”
“No,” Dillon replied, shaking his head. “I’ll get to know you because I have my own intentions, Ms. Willis. But let’s not rush things.”
“Intentions? Like what?” I asked playfully.
“The good ones,” he assured me. “I promise.”
I chuckled. “I can only hope so.”
“Don’t worry. And I hope you ordered the spicy for me and the mild for yourself.”
He raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Who told you I ordered something for you?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure you did,” I retorted, watching him closely. “But, answer my question.”
“It was the other way around,” Dillon admitted, leaning closer. “I didn’t expect a girl like you to handle spice.”
“Why not?” I asked, a twinkle in my eye.
“You radiate all the spice,” he said with a grin and took a seat next to me.
“I’ll take that as a compliment but I loved eating spicy foods. Especially with Abigail and Halley,” I replied with a light laugh. But as the topic of Halley came up, my spirit dimmed.
Dillon noticed the shift and asked, “What’s wrong?”
I hesitated, then answered, “Nothing,” trying to brush aside my feelings with a forced smile.
“Don’t lie,” he insisted, his eyes showing genuine concern. “Is it about Halley?”
I admitted, “Well, yeah.”
“Let’s talk about it, if you want to,” he offered.
I opened up, my words spilling out. “Do you ever feel like you’ve been there for someone forever, and as soon as they find happiness, they just start drifting away?”
He nodded with understanding. “Yes, but I tend to not take it personally.”
“That’s how I feel about Halley,” I continued. “I’m happy that she’s happy, but it’s like she completely forgot about our friendship. And then she lied to me, repeatedly.”
“Have you tried talking to her?” Dillon asked.
I sighed in frustration. “I’ve texted her, and she doesn’t respond. I’m over it now.”
Dillon offered sage advice. “You might never truly be over it because Halley is a significant part of your life, much like Abigail. But, you’ll eventually learn and realize that you deserve better. How did you meet Abigail?”
“Elementary school, and then we ended up at the same college. But she doesn’t live here; she’s on a scholarship and does classes online,” I explained. “She comes around every few months.”
“Halley will come around soon too, but don’t let her back into your life too easily. No one deserves to hurt you and then simply walk back in,” Dillon said, placing his hand on my thigh.
